Medical Abbreviations
NPO
What is Nothing by Mouth?
This vital sign measures how many times the heart beats per minute.
What is pulse (heart rate)?
This is the most effective method to prevent the spread of infection in healthcare settings.
Acetaminophen 650 mg PO ordered, available is 325 mg tablets. How many tablets?
What is 2?
Your 2025-2026 ATD co-presidents.
Who are Julie and Claire?
BID
What is twice a day?
The normal adult respiratory rate range is between these two numbers per minute.
What is 12-20 breaths per minute?
Before administering a medication, a nurse checks the patient's wristband and confirms the medication order. This practice ensures this type of safety.
What is patient identification / "right patient" safety?
Order: Regular insulin per sliding scale: give 6 units for blood glucose 250-300 mg/dL. Available: Insulin 100 units/mL
Patient blood glucose: 275 mg/dL
How many mL to draw up?
What is 0.06 mL?
These are the four official colors of ATD.
V/Q
What is ventilation/perfusion?
The average, healthy adult should have potassium in this range.
What is 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L?
If a patient is fall risk, the nurse should do this to prevent injury.
What is ensuring the patient's environment is safe? What is keeping the bed in the lowest position, locking wheels and turning the bed alarm on, removing clutter, placing the call light within reach, and providing gait or mobility assistance when needed?
Ordered: Ibuprofen 10 mg/kg PO
Patient weight: 15 kg
Available: Ibuprofen suspension 100 mg/5 mL
Question: How many mL should you administer?
What is 7.5 mL?
This is the official ATD motto.
What is 'United in Service'?
PERRLA
What is Pupils are Equal, Round, Reactive to Light and Accommodation?
The average healthy adult should have this white blood cell count
What is 4,000 - 11,000 cells/μL?
The 8 rights of medication administration
What is the right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation, right reason, right response?
Ordered: Nitroprusside 0.5 mcg/kg/min IV
Patient weight: 80 kg
Available: Nitroprusside 50 mg in 250 mL D5W
Question: What rate (mL/hr) should you set on the IV pump?
What is 12 mL/hr?
This is the official ATD flower.
What is Yellow Rose?
HFpEF
What is Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fracture?
Priority nursing action if patient's vitals read: Temperature: 100.8 °F, Heart Rate: 110 bpm, Respiratory Rate: 28/min, Blood Pressure: 88/56 mmHg, SpO₂: 91% on room air. Patient reports dizziness when standing and chest discomfort
What is supplemental oxygen and placing patient in supine with legs elevated? (Prioritize Airway, Breathing, Circulation ABCs).
The client states, "None of my family came to visit me today, I'm very lonely." To reply in a therapeutic way, the nurse would reply with which statement?
A. "They came to visit you yesterday. They were probably just busy today."
B. "Everybody feels lonely sometimes."
C. "I will stay with you for a while."
D. "Why do you think that?"
Ordered: Dopamine IV, start at 5 mcg/kg/min, titrate to maintain SBP >90 mmHg
Patient weight: 220 lbs
Available: Dopamine 400 mg in 250 mL D5W
Current rate: 5 mcg/kg/min
What is the current mL/hr rate?
What is 18.8 mL/hr?
In this year, ATD was founded.
What is 1921?